Braves' Austin Riley sends strong message on struggles after Cardinals game

The Atlanta Braves have started to slide in MLB, as they've lost 13 of their last 17 games, and now have just a 2.5 game lead in the NL East over the surging Phillies. 

A lot of players have hit brutal slumps over the past few weeks, but Austin Riley, in particular, has really underperformed this season, and it's starting to hurt the team. Riley is batting .207 with eight home runs, 37 RBI, and just 62 hits in 83 games. His bWAR sits at 0.0 this season, basically noting he isn't bringing any value to the team. He's also owed over $150 million on his contract, which is the largest contract dished out in franchise history. 

Austin Riley's message after Tuesday's loss to the Cardinals

Following the Braves' loss to the Cardinals on Tuesday, Austin Riley spoke with the media about his recent struggles. 

Here is what he said, courtesy of Braves reporter Grant McAuley:

"Personally, it hasn't been good, It's been terrible. Awful, everything in between. You know, I'm just trying to figure it out, trying to get in a good position to be able to compete up there. Obviously, not doing that right now. So, just trying to take it day-by-day and work every day with Tim (Hyers) and those guys, and in the cage. At some point, you would think it would start turning."

Tim Hyers is the Braves' hitting coach. 

And as for Riley's statement, yes, you would think things would start to turn around, but it's baseball, and prolonged slumps happen. 

Atlanta is currently 49-34, which is still a really good record in MLB, but with players like Austin Riley in such a deep slump, the Braves' division lead may not last much longer.